Rigid and shaky hard link diagrams (2403.19323v1)

Abstract: In this study of the Reidemeister moves within the classical knot theory, we focus on hard diagrams of knots and links, categorizing them as either rigid or shaky based on their adaptability to certain moves. We establish that every link possesses a diagram that is a rigid hard diagram and we provide an upper limit for the number of crossings in such diagrams. Furthermore, we investigate rigid hard diagrams for specific knots or links to determine their rigid hard index. In the topic of shaky hard diagrams, we demonstrate the existence of such diagrams for the unknot and unlink, regardless of the number of components, and present examples of shaky hard diagrams.